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Newspapers help make PA great

National Newspaper Week presents an opportunity to reflect on the value of journalism — an American treasure essential to our way of life. Around the globe and nationwide, across the commonwealth, and in our own backyards, newspaper journalists provide the accurate, fair, timely and thorough reporting individuals and communities need to make informed decisions. It is no surprise that news consumers in Pennsylvania continue to make newspapers, along with their websites and other digital platforms, the top source for local news and information. Why is that? Newspapers are the ...

Region could use ‘jolt’ for transportation

Both political parties in Congress and the Biden administration must not escape criticism over their inability to cooperate, compromise and end the uncertainties — expeditiously — regarding the proposed massive, needed national infrastructure initiative. Shame on them all for the political obstructionism, grandstanding and outright irresponsibility that have kept the trillions-of-dollars program in limbo for so long. As Mirror reporter William Kibler detailed in a front-page article in Thursday’s Mirror, Pennsylvania alone is targeted to receive $3.9 billion for transportation ...

Lead piping issue isn’t going away

“Your tap water can hang out in some pretty seedy joints” is the message in close proximity to containers of one brand of bottled water sold by some area stores. Accompanying that message and, of course, the containers of water for sale is a picture depicting one example of the deteriorating condition to which the company is attempting to draw attention. Many people look at the picture, say “Yuk,” and then move on. However, some people might ponder opting for the bottled water alternative rather than continuing to rely on the drinking water out of the tap from which they ...

City parking options need expressed

A path of open communication averts misunderstandings and, generally, can be beneficial to all involved in, or affected by, a decision or new policy. Thus, the Altoona Parking Authority’s plan to meet with downtown businesses’ owners to gauge support for what has been described as a more organized approach for assigning parking spaces between the 10th Avenue Expressway and 11th Avenue is commendable. Beyond that, whatever final determinations are forthcoming need to be reported clearly to city residents, some of whom no doubt park in the spaces in question. Beyond that, that ...

Address turnpike ‘leakage’

Probably no one with any real understanding or logical suppositions surrounding the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s switch to all-electronic tolling subscribed to the shortsighted notion that the travel entity would not experience serious challenges in ensuring that a superior toll-collection record would be achieved quickly and painlessly. However, even the most pessimistic skeptics probably didn’t fathom a situation as mind-boggling as the one emanating from an internal turnpike report issued in July: that more than $104 million in tolls went uncollected last year. The report in ...

York teachers must be free to teach race

An Oscar-nominated documentary on James Baldwin. A letter from the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. A coloring book of African Adrinkra symbols. Materials from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Teachers in Central York School District aren’t allowed to introduce any of these to their students, along with four pages of other books, videos, websites and articles. These are materials the district’s diversity committee reportedly recommended in 2020 to help teachers dealing with questions about race while the ...